Chapter 277 : Chapter 277

Chapter 277. Dragon's Reverse Scale

"Balban! We got a message from the 8th Prince!"

"Is that true?"

THUD!

Balban Lusheron, the guild master of the Iron Anvil Guild, stopped hammering and rushed over to the vice guild master, Kranvel.

"A letter came from the 8th Prince?"

"What is it, what is it?"

"We're curious too."

The other dwarves stopped their work one by one and gathered around Kranvel. These were dwarves who, under normal circumstances, would never let go of their hammers once they picked them up.

For such proud dwarf artisans to throw down their hammers and gather around like this. Balban, finding it absurd, shouted at them.

"Hey, you lot! What are you going to do if you come over too! What about the work?"

But the dwarves shot back without backing down.

"Only you two can look? Aren't we all Iron Anvil Guild members?"

"Balban, you threw down your hammer too!"

"Right! That's not just any ordinary item! We all worked hard on it, so we can be curious!"

Their words made sense. Refining dragon scales was truly difficult work.

Moreover, the dragon's reverse scale sent by the 8th Prince was a material that ordinary blacksmiths could barely handle. Only when all the skilled dwarf artisans devoted themselves to it could they barely shape it into a dagger.

Everyone's devotion had gone into it, so naturally they were curious about the 8th Prince's reaction.

"Kranvel! Hurry up and read the letter!"

"I want to hear it quickly."

At the dwarves' clamor, Kranvel slowly read the letter.

To everyone at the Iron Anvil Guild,

I received the gift you made with such care.

I am using the dagger to dismantle magical beasts.

It is easier to strip leather and scales compared to the daggers I was using.

Balban's eyes widened. Using the dagger made from a dragon's reverse scale to dismantle magical beasts?

The other dwarves also held their breath at that part. What did he do with the only weapon that could kill a dragon?

A moment of silence flowed between them.

The dwarves, belatedly understanding the situation, twisted their faces. Then they opened their mouths as if they could not contain themselves.

"Did we hear that correctly?"

"With the dragon's reverse scale we suffered so much to make, he's..."

"...It's better for peeling scales than other daggers?"

They ground their teeth. The dwarves' strong jaw muscles trembled.

But their next reaction was unexpected.

"WAHAHA, WAHAHAT! This is interesting!"

"The 8th Prince is using the dragon's reverse scale to peel magical beast hides!"

"UHAHAH! He's really something else!"

Even Balban, the guild master of the Iron Anvil Guild, was laughing loudly.

"Right! This is what makes supporting him worthwhile! KHAHAT!"

Indeed, thinking that he had seen one person right, Balban grinned. Then he shouted loudly.

"Hey, someone go get the Sleeping Dragon! We can't just listen to such an interesting story dry!"

"Good idea! Let's drink while we listen to the rest!"

The dwarves even brought out Sleeping Dragon, the precious alcohol they treasured most.

"Now, continue reading!"

Vice guild master Kranvel continued reading the letter amid the commotion.

Is it because it was made from a dragon's reverse scale?

It seems to work especially well on magical beasts.

Oh, and the kitchen knife I commissioned arrived safely as well.

Yesterday I cut a potato with it, and the cross-section was so sharp I thought I'd been cut.

I think I can make an amazing dish.

It was the moment the dwarves listening to Radel's letter flipped out.

"UHAHAHAHA!"

"Did you just hear? What did the 8th Prince do with the kitchen knife we made?"

"He sliced a potato! A potato! WAHAHA!"

"Well, of course! It's a kitchen knife!"

Because of the 8th Prince casually cutting potatoes with the kitchen knife the dwarves made, they could not stop laughing. It was truly a story that lifted their spirits just to hear.

The dwarves of the Iron Anvil Guild ended up emptying an entire barrel of Sleeping Dragon that day.

* * *

SWOOSH!

Leon was dumbfounded. Radel was dismantling a magical beast right before his eyes.

And with a dragon's reverse scale at that!

'Is he insane?'

He couldn't not know what that was. Even for Leon, an imperial prince, obtaining a dragon's scale was not easy.

Perhaps a few hundred years ago, but now it was an item that could not be obtained even with money. Not to mention a dragon's reverse scale.

The only weapon that could kill a dragon, the pinnacle of magic.

Using such a precious item to dismantle a mere low-level magical beast...? What if the blade got dull?

"What... are you doing?"

Leon could not help but speak. Radel, who had been cheerfully stripping the magical beast's hide, answered without even looking at Leon.

"Blood's splattering, so stay back, Leon."

"I asked what you're doing."

"I need to prepare it now if we're going to eat breakfast tomorrow. I already grilled all the meat earlier."

Radel sighed as if he had no choice since there was one more mouth to feed.

"Phew, no matter what, I can't let someone go hungry..."

Radel, wearing the expression of a father exhausted from raising seven siblings alone, continued stripping the hide as he spoke.

"Go over there and rest. I'll be done soon."

"No, I..."

"What can I do? You've never done this kind of work. I'll just suffer a bit."

Before Leon could say anything, Radel moved his hands quickly. Then, with skillful movements, he separated the chunks of meat and this time took out a kitchen knife.

'...What is that now?'

An extraordinary white blade. A subtly lustrous back and smooth handle.

It was hard to believe it was just a kitchen knife. Leon, who had always used only the finest items, recognized the value of the kitchen knife in Radel's hand.

"That... knife, what is it?"

Leon could not bring himself to say "kitchen knife." Radel shrugged and answered nonchalantly.

"This? The dwarves made it for me last time. I ordered a kitchen knife and it really cuts well. Dwarf artisan skills are good as expected."

At Radel's words, as if he truly knew nothing, Leon swallowed hard.

'...Dwarves made it?'

That item made by dwarves was no ordinary kitchen knife. No matter how Leon looked at it... the blade was definitely made of orichalcum.

The legendary metal that supposedly never broke. It was not a metal to be made into a mere kitchen knife...

But Radel, perhaps because it was newly made, was saying it cuts well and using the kitchen knife presumably made of orichalcum to just slice onions.

"I'm thinking of making soup for tomorrow's breakfast with this, is that okay?"

"...Do whatever you want."

"No complaints after eating, okay? I don't have many ingredients right now."

"Do you think I'm some kind of child...!"

"If not, that's good."

Leon, who was about to get angry, calmed himself down. He almost got caught up in it again despite knowing he should not get involved with that bastard.

This was someone who dismantled magical beasts with a dragon's reverse scale and cut onions with orichalcum. Common sense did not work on him.

Nothing good would come from prolonging the conversation. However, that bastard had a talent for easily opening the lid of patience he had barely pressed down.

"Oh, and don't forget to tell me the essence of magic. You can't eat and run."

"...What do you take me for?"

He was truly a terrible bastard.

* * *

WHIRR.

Flying golems were illuminating the students. The students were resting or engaging in combat in the Dungeon, paired in twos. They were first-year Combat Magic majors who had entered the Green Sanctuary.

Their appearance was being shown in its entirety to someone through image magic.

"They're doing quite well, aren't they?"

Cromwell Bondis, the principal of the Imperial Magic Academy, smiled as he watched the images flowing from the viewing sphere. It was a suspiciously wicked smile.

However, Professor Bronson Sendert, who knew that the principal's atmosphere was originally like that, nodded indifferently.

"That's how it is. But they haven't encountered the mid-boss yet. I think it's a bit early to send first-years into the Green Sanctuary."

"I trust that Professor Lilian made that judgment herself."

Cromwell raised a finger and selected an image. It showed Gusto and Inette conquering magical beasts in the swamp.

- That's mine, so don't touch it!

- Those who are late have nothing to say.

- Because I'm one step late, you're telling me to shut up, right now?

Inette swung the staff she received from the Imperial Palace. True to the staff that could store one spell, two magics were cast simultaneously.

WHOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

- Take this!

Combined with Inette's Essence of Flame, monsters were swept away in an instant. Gusto was not idle either.

- Light.

As he recited the spell, he infused divine power. As divine magic was added to Gusto's light element magic, sacred beams of light shot out in all directions.

The monsters hit by it melted.

- KIIIEEE!

Watching the image magic, Cromwell stroked his chin in admiration.

"Oho. The level of this year's first-years is certainly high."

"Anyone can see they're not ordinary first-years. One is the 7th Princess, and one is an apprentice holy knight of the Supreme Deity Order."

Professor Bronson swept over the screen with an indifferent face.

"Well, it's natural that imperial family members with Abilities are strong."

"It seems Professor Bronson is also interested. After all, if you're a mage, you can't help but be interested in the Abilities of the imperial family. Don't you want to research them? Huhu."

Cromwell let out a laugh that seemed to have ulterior motives.

"But no matter how much we beg, His Majesty won't allow research on the imperial family... So at times like this when there's an opportunity, we should at least observe, right?"

Then he finally found a screen with another imperial family member. It was a screen with Radel and Leon together.

The two were sitting far apart. They did not look like people who had entered the Dungeon together to clear it.

Even though they had identical appearances, at the sight of them sitting apart like strangers, Cromwell's eyes gleamed with regret.

"It would have been good if they were in combat with magical beasts."

"Didn't you deploy flying golems for the students' safety?"

Professor Bronson looked at Cromwell with disbelieving eyes. Then Cromwell spoke meaningfully.

"Of course. All kinds of things happen in Dungeons. For instance... combat between imperial family members?"

"...I thought you didn't care about that."

Professor Bronson thought it was unexpected. The Cromwell he knew always showed a neutral attitude. In other words, even if imperial family members fought and died inside the academy, he would not take anyone's side.

"Not intervening in succession disputes is the academy's rule handed down from the founding."

Cromwell raised the corners of his mouth.

"But isn't it too regrettable that imperial family members with Abilities are decreasing?"

In his eyes as he spoke, Radel's figure was reflected. He was the most interesting existence among the imperial family members Cromwell had seen.

Radel had a talent for somehow cajoling even imperial family members with whom he could never be said to be on good terms and ultimately achieving his purpose. On top of that, he had even discovered the Integrated Major that Cromwell created.

For him, there was no reason not to like Radel.

"And wouldn't it be fine if at least one imperial family member continued to remain at the academy?"

Cromwell's smile deepened.